The Gift of Health
Bodily health is more valuable than any amount of wealth, so I offer you health instead of the silver you were expecting to receive.
To be honest, I don't have any silver or gold to give you.
Christ has given us authority, and he instructed us, saying: 'Do not acquire gold or silver or copper' (Matthew 10:9).
He also gave us the authority to cast out demons, heal the sick, and cleanse lepers, reminding us that since we received our gifts freely, we should give freely as well (Matthew 10:8).
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are commanded to rise and walk.
While a servant may help someone up by taking their hand, the master heals with just a word.
It's clear that a servant is not greater than their master.
As medical facilities open around the world, I see Christ standing over all of them as the ultimate doctor.
What's remarkable is that different diseases, located in various hospital areas, are all treated by one doctor - Christ.
One person, struggling with the wound of sin, comes to Christ and, after receiving healing through fasting, departs.
Another person, having turned away from the stench of fornication, receives treatment for their spiritual foul smell from Christ, who heals both souls and bodies.
Then there's the person consumed by the fever of love for money, who, after being relieved through fasting, is able to find remedies for their disease.
Christ knows how to make sterile women conceive and turn a barren womb into a fertile field, giving prophets as a reward to those who fast.
The Bible tells us that Anna was in anguish, wept, and did not eat, but fasting gave the prophet Samuel to the barren woman.
Through fasting, Christ gives prophets as a reward to those who fast, and it has the power to dry up the sources of fornication, open the withered womb, and cut away the thorns of sin that sprout from our thoughts.
Greek
ἔχω. Ἀργύριον προσδοκᾷς λαβεῖν, ὑγίειάν σοι παρέχω· κρεῖττον γὰρ ὑγίεια σώματος ἢ ὄλβος ἀμέτρητος. Ὁμο-λογήσω σοι τὴν ἀλήθειαν· "3Ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι"3. Ὁ Χριστὸς γὰρ παρέδωκεν ἡμῖν λέγων· "3Μὴ κτήσασθε χρυσὸν μηδὲ ἄργυρον μηδὲ χαλκόν"3. ∆έδωκεν δὲ ἡμῖν ἐξουσίαν λέγων· "3∆αιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε, ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, λεπροὺς καθαρίζετε. ∆ωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε."3 "3Ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἔγειρε καὶ περιπάτει.» Καὶ κρατήσας «τῆς δεξιᾶς χειρὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτόν.» Ὁ δοῦλος κρατῶν ἐγείρει, ὁ δεσπότης λόγῳ θεραπεύει· «Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ.» 7 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἰατρείων κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀνοιγομένων, σήμερον βλέπω καὶ ἕνα τοῖς πᾶσιν ἰατρὸν ἐφεστῶτα Χριστόν. Ὢ καινοτέρου τοῦ θαύματος. ∆ιάφορα πάθη, ἐν διαφόροις ἰατρείων χωρίοις, ὑπὸ ἑνὸς ἰατροῦ θεραπεύεται. Ἄλλος ἀλλαχοῦ ἁμαρτίας τραύματι συνεχόμενος πρόσεισιν καὶ παρὰ τῆς νηστείας λαβὼν ἰάσεως ἔμπλαστρον ἄπεισιν. Ἄλλος ἑτέρωθι σηπεδόνα πορνείας ἀπόζων ἰατικὸν τῆς δυσωδίας, παρὰ τοῦ ἰατροῦ τῶν ψυχῶν καὶ σωμάτων Χριστοῦ, δι' αὐτῆς ἐκδέχεται φάρμακον. Ἄλλος πυρετῷ φιλαργυρίας συγκαιόμενος, παρὰ τῆς νηστείας ἀναψυχούσας τὴν νόσον βοτάνας κομίζεται. 8 Οἶδεν αὕτη καὶ στείρας ἐγκύμονας ἀποφαίνειν συντόμως, καὶ τὴν ἄγονον μήτραν εὔκαρπον ἄρουραν ἀπεργάζεσθαι, καὶ προφήτας υἱοὺς τῆς ἀσιτίας διδόναι μισθόν. Τί γὰρ παρὰ τῆς θείας γραφῆς διδασκόμεθα; «Καὶ ἠθύμει Ἅννα», φησίν, «καὶ ἔκλαιεν καὶ οὐκ ἤσθιεν.» Ἀλλὰ νηστεία τῇ στείρᾳ Σαμουὴλ τὸν προφήτην παρέσχεν. Εἶδες τῆς νηστείας τὰ δῶρα. Εἶδες οἵους τοῖς αὐτῆς δεομένοις βλαστάνει καρπούς, πῶς τὰς μὲν πηγὰς τῆς πορνείας ξηραίνει, τὰς δὲ ξηρανθείσας τῇ στειρώσει μήτρας ἀνοίγει καὶ τὰς ἐκ τῶν λογισμῶν δὲ φυομένας ἀκάνθας τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐκκόπτει καὶ
About this text
Hesychius of Jerusalem, Homilia de jejunio (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 93 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.